Insects

Flowers and vegetables (oh and weeds too) are all growing fast and blooming, which means insects of all kinds are out in numbers. Last year I considered them all "pests". I'm not so sure this year. Seems like they are really only pests when they are out to get you and destroy all your plants. I've been reading about (and starting to see firsthand) how many of these pests and predators influence each other and my plants. Many "organic" gardeners spray insecticides just as freely as any commercial non-organic farm, they just have a different label on their bottle. Others will use preventative devices like picking off or rubbing out eggs or physical barriers like spun polyester or plastic plant collars. Some gardeners plant sacrificial crops to lure the pests away from their favorites. Then there's predatory insects - like ladybird beetles and beneficial nematodes, who can be purchased and released to help control pests. Another simple solution is to grow twice as much as is really wanted - some for you, some for the bugs, and some to share.

I guess I'm doing a little of each, like most organic gardeners probably do - the eventual goal is complete health of not only my vegetables, but also the soil and all the living things that are affected by what I do in my garden.

Unidentified eggs deep in cabbage leaves. Washed them out.

Imported cabbage worm on lettuce seedling. Picked off.

Cabbage looper larvae from a Joi choy hybrid. Squished.

The infamous corn flea beetle on the tomatoes. Numbers aren't bad enough to do any real damage, with plants at 3' already. These guys can mow down entire stands of young transplants overnight when there are enough of them. I'll keep an eye on the damage and worse case (plants start suffering) use neem oil.

This honeybee OD'ed on pollen.

I didn't have my camera, but I also observed many aphids on my hops. I also saw 5 or 6 lady bugs on each hop plant, feasting away. Also present were red or black ants, who "farm" the aphids by protecting them and keeping them on the plant, where the aphid colonies increase and secrete hondey-dew (aphid crap!), which the ants feed on. Usually I would nuke the aphids with pyrethrin spray, but this also kills ladybugs, so this year I'm gonna let them be and see what happens.

Also lots of spiders out, which eat the good and the bad insects, so don't help or hurt. They are, however, a good indicator that my garden is in good health and that insects of all kinds are thriving there.